IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Tuesday, August 5, Dickinson County voters approved a millage renewal request for Bay College’s Iron Mountain Campus.
According to the Dickinson County Clerk’s Office, just under 4,200 votes were cast. Nearly 57% of Dickinson County residents voted in favor of renewing the millage, which is not to exceed .9987 mills, for another 20 years.
Bay College President Dr. Nerita Hughes says she is pleased with the results.
“When I saw that the millage had passed, I was super excited,” she said. “We did a ton of outreach, just making sure that people knew the reasoning behind what the millage even represents, what we’re going to be doing in Iron Mountain. To say that I was overjoyed is an understatement.”
The continuation of the millage will allow Bay to maintain its existing services and programs and to keep tuition rates at their current level. Dr. Hughes calls the election results a “tremendous win” for both the college and the community.
“It’s being able to know that we have an institution that has made a great impact in the community, but then it’s the impact to the individual as far as self-sustaining, livable wages,” she said. “Not only that, if we were the starting point for them, that means that they can move further on in their educational journey and kind of move on in the workforce.”
Bay has been part of Dickinson County since 1977. As the community prepared to vote on the millage renewal, Dr. Hughes says she saw how big of an impact the college has had since then.
“When I went to the City of Kingsford to share our story, several of the councilmen were saying how if it wasn’t for Bay, either they or their child would not be where they are today,” she said. “This is a great way for us to continue to be a go-to, whether it’s for high school graduates or adult learners who are looking at reskilling, a new skill, or even upskilling.”
Dr. Hughes thanks the committee that encouraged voters to support the Bay College millage renewal, as well as everyone who made their voice heard at the polls.
